1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to networks. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus which allows a node in an overall network to utilize host services from different and distinct service domains.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traditional networks are built around a hierarchy of nested networks. In the current inter-networking framework, scalability and the ability to handle social networks are often problematic. The current inter-networking framework does not permit scaling by a large factor. For instance, it may not be possible to scale the current inter-networking framework by a factor that is likely to be required to accommodate an anticipated growth in network node count, e.g., a factor of approximately 10,000 or approximately 100,000. It typically takes approximately two and a half days to converge a new core network that is added to the inter-networking framework, e.g., the Internet, using a border gateway protocol (BGP). As such, converging a large number of new networks is generally not conceivable.
A hierarchy on which traditional networks are built involves networks that are sub-netted and allocated to physical campuses. Typically, a node is attached to a “room” within an enterprise and, hence, is considered as belonging to the enterprise. Each node is a member of a single enterprise at any given time. As such, the enterprise that a node is currently connected to is considered to be the enterprise that the node is a member of. Even when the node is roaming, e.g., not physically located in the room to which it is assigned, and is hosted by a foreign network, the node tunnels back to its room such that the hierarchy of its network is maintained.
Two nodes which are associated with a first enterprise may roam away from the first enterprise, but may share a hot spot or a public wireless access point associated with a different enterprise, e.g., a new hosting enterprise, in a given location. In other words, nodes that are typically members of one social network such as the first enterprise may instead at least temporarily join another social network such as the new hosting enterprise. If the two nodes wish to communicate with each other, the nodes may tunnel back to the first enterprise and communicate with each other via the enterprise network associated with the first enterprise. In this case, the packets transmitted by one node are tunneled back to the first enterprise before being retunneled to the other node, which is inefficient given that the two nodes are at substantially the same location. Alternatively, the nodes may operate on the new hosting enterprise such that packets sent from one node are received by the other node via the new hosting enterprise. Although the transmitting of packets from one node to the other node via the new hosting enterprise is relatively efficient, the nodes are not able to communicate with any other nodes associated with the first enterprise.
A node may be a laptop computer that a worker of an organization may use in different locations, such as at his office and at his home. While in his office, e.g., his room, the worker may connect his laptop computer substantially directly to his work enterprise network. While in his home, the worker may effectively connect his laptop computer to his work enterprise network by utilizing a virtual private network (VPN). However, in order for the laptop computer to be connected to the work enterprise network of the worker, the laptop computer effectively relinquishes membership in a home enterprise network. Hence, the laptop computer may only use services provided by the work enterprise network and may not substantially simultaneously use services provided by the home enterprise network, and vice versa. The inability for the laptop computer to utilize services of both the work enterprise network and the home enterprise network is inefficient. By way of example, if the worker wishes to download print a document from the work enterprise network for printing on a printer of the home enterprise network, the worker would generally need to tunnel to the work enterprise network, download the document and store the document on the laptop computer, disconnect from the work enterprise network, and then join the home enterprise network before printing.
Therefore, what is needed is an inter-networking framework that allows new networks to be efficiently converged, and also allows nodes to concurrently be members of more than one social network. That is, what is desired is a scaleable inter-networking framework that allows a node to host services from different and distinct service domains.